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Rappahannock Record The lower Northern Neck’s most complete news source since 1916 75¢ Volume 94 No. 19 Thursday, February 17, 2011 www.RRecord.com Sciabbarrasi Trial of boat announces Catching the breeze operator in resignation fatal crash from public starts today LANCASTER—The trial of Steven W. Nixon of Montpelier on school post charges involving a fatal boat crash by Audrey Thomasson on July 5, 2010, is scheduled to begin in Lancaster County Circuit Court at KILMARNOCK—In a sur- 9 a.m. today and continue on Friday, prise development, superintendent February 18. Susan Sciabbarrasi turned in her A Lancaster County Circuit Court resignation to the Lancaster school grand jury returned nine indictments board during a closed session last against Nixon on October 22. The Monday. charges stem from Nixon’s alleged Sciabbarrasi, who had planned operation of a motor boat that crashed to retire at the end of her contract From left are resource teacher Jenny Christman, sixth-grade poetry winner Delia Ibanez, moderator into a fixed channel marker in the in three years, said she moved it up Jon Miles, Department of Mines Minerals and Energy representative Ken Jurman, superintendent Rappahannock River. A woman was due to family and medical reasons. Clint Stables, school board vice chairman Myrtle Phillips and Rep. Rob Wittman’s representative thrown into the water and drowned. She will depart on June 30, 2011. Chris Jones. Nine other people were injured, some “This is a wonderful school dis- seriously. trict. Everyone I worked with is Charges against Nixon include one so wonderful,” Sciabbarrasi said count of felony murder for causing after the meeting. a death while committing a felony; School board chair Ella Davis four counts of aggravated child expressed her shock and sorrow. abuse resulting in serious injury; “I am so sorry. She’s a wonder- three counts of aggravated wounding ful person. The school board will to one adult and two children while suffer a great loss,” she said. intoxicated; and one count of aggra- Sciabbarrasi spent most of her vated involuntary manslaughter. career teaching middle school Also set to be heard this week is science and math in Henrico Nixon’s appeal of two misdemeanor and Chesterfield counties. She convictions for operating a boat was superintendent of schools in while intoxicated and reckless opera- Wrangell, Alaska, for six years tion of a boat. On October 13, Nixon before moving to Lancaster in July received two suspended six-month 2007 to head the school district. Students line up for the dedication ceremony. jail sentences from Lancaster County When she arrived, the school General District Court Judge Gordon board and previous superinten- Wilkins and was ordered to pay $500 dent, Dr. Randolph Latimore, were of a $2,500 fine. He also was barred embroiled in a dispute with county The first wind turbine from operating a boat for two years. supervisors over improper alloca- Other evidence at that trial included tion of school funds and overpay- a report from Riverside Walter Reed ment of benefits to Latimore. The for a Virginia school Hospital in Gloucester that showed county eventually filed a lawsuit Nixon’s blood alcohol content a few against the school board and Lati- hours after the crash was .14%. A more. After nearly three years, the is raised in Claraville person is considered legally intoxi- lawsuit is still pending a judge’s by Starke Jett cated when his blood alcohol level decision whether it has merit to go is .08%. to trial. orthumberland County students last Friday became the first Sciabbarrasi is “one of the Nin the state to enjoy the benefits of having their own wind tur- best, if not the best, managers of bine for studying the alternative energy form and gathering related resources that I’ve ever known,” weather data. said Jack Larson, assistant county Four Virginia schools were awarded $20,000 federal “Wind for administrator. As the county’s Schools” grants last year, but the local turbine is the first to be chief budget planner and admis- erected. trator, Larson said Sciabbarrasi The federal program for K-12 schools was initiated in 2005 to deserves praise for coming in and raise awareness in rural America of alternative energy possibilities. turning things around both in the There are 11 states participating, with Virginia joining in 2010. Nor- school’s finances and with super- thumberland technology and resource teacher Jenny Christman is visors. “She’s made all the differ- credited with moving the application process forward last April. The ence in the world.” grant followed in September. “I’m absolutely so sorry to A four-man installation crew from Baker Renewable Energy Co., hear” she is leaving, said Wally Bobby Eiseman, Dustin Simpson, Alexander Nicopoulos and Rich- Calvin A. Tucker Beauchamp, chairman of the ard Wright, started working early Thursday at the middle school board of supervisors. “She has site. They attached the blades to the turbine mounted on the pole, been a breath of fresh air to us. In which was laying on the ground Friday morning. Suspect charged a relatively short period of time A crane operated by Robert Knott of W.O. Brubb of Richmond she turned things around. From arrived at 9 a.m. to lift the entire assembly skyward. Within minutes in recent attack the board’s perspective, we now of being raised, the dangling, 55-foot-tall, silver Skystream 3.7 wind have a tremendous amount of trust turbine was fastened to the bolts secured in the 5-foot-deep concrete in the school and board—some- foundation. remains in jail thing we didn’t have before. She The Northumberland High School Band was already playing in by Audrey Thomasson is highly respected by the board, celebration of the new landmark, officially dedicated at 10 a.m. A LIVELY—The Lancaster County schools, parents and community.” curious crowd had gathered to witness the dawning of a new energy Sheriff’s Department last Friday In the coming weeks, the Vir- era for the county’s students and residents. arrested a man in connection with the ginia School Board Association The wind turbine is erected. Russell Raymond and Jesse Fernandes from the Department of January 19 rape of an elderly woman is expected to send a team to Lan- For more photos, visit RRecord. Energy, Ken Jurman of the Virginia Department of Mines Minerals in her Clover Lane home. caster to help the school board com. and Energy, Jonathan Miles of the Virginia Center for Wind Energy Sheriff Ronald D. Crockett said begin a search for a new superin- at James Madison University, Calvin Alphoneson Tucker, 32, of tendent, said Davis. Northumberland school board vice the 1000 block of Griffins Landing chairman Myrtle Phillips, Chris Road in Lancaster was arrested at Jones of Rep. Rob Wittman’s office 2:25 p.m. and charged with rape and Judge affirms and Jenny Christman of Del. Albert residential burglary. Pollard’s office joined school super- Tucker was released in January plea agreement intendent Clint Stables, administra- 2009 from the state penitentiary after tors, teachers and students to hear serving 11 years of a 12-year sen- in unusual comments about the towering addi- tence for a 1998 break-in, malicious tion to the campus landscape. wounding and larceny of a firearm in shooting incident Student poetry contest winners, Lancaster, according to Larry Tray- sixth-graders Delia Ibanez and by Starke Jett lor, public information officer for the Ashley Warwick, seventh-grader Virginia Department of Corrections. Ethan Fisher, eighth-grader Kyndia HEATHSVILLE—As expected, As a result of the new charges, Riley and ninth-grader Josh McKin- the defendants in a shooting case Tucker also was changed with parole ley, recited their poems about wind that occurred last July pleaded violation, according to the sheriff’s to start the program. Because his guilty at their trial February 10 in report. center facilitated the grant awards, Northumberland County Circuit Sheriff Crockett said the arrest was Miles acted as the moderator. He Court. Walter Lee Northern Jr., made sooner than expected because introduced the other speakers after 40, and John George Cullen, 52, of quick processing and analysis Stables’ opening remarks and the both of Newman’s Neck Road, of DNA evidence by the Virginia poetry readings. admitted their involvement in the Forensic Laboratory in Richmond. “You are the future leaders of shooting of Donald Feldman Jr., Deputies used cell phone pings off our country and it is important that 41, of Heathsville. cell towers to triangulate Tucker’s you see this alternative energy in In a summary of the incident location before making the arrest. action,” said Fernandes. described by Commonwealth’s Tucker is being held without bond “I am a believer that alternative Attorney Jane Wrightson, it was in Lancaster County jail. Juvenile energy will grow in importance and stated the three men had been and Domestic Court Judge Michael will need workers and supporters,” drinking “a significant amount of McKinney assigned Will Hubbard as said Jurman. “Schools are where alcohol” before an argument broke his public defender. the seeds for the future are sown.” out in the early morning hours of A preliminary hearing has been set “We are looking at the future,” July 28. for April 6 in Lancaster County Gen- said Jones. Northern and Cullen told inves- eral District Court. “It is a real honor to work with tigators that they chased Feldman Sheriff’s deputies from Northum- you all on the first project in Vir- out of their house at 4062 New- berland and Richmond counties. Sixth-graders sign a wind turbine blade to hang in their school.